Improvement in envelope-openers



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DEPRO'VEMEN'I IN ENVELOPE-OPENERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, W. H. MANTZ, of Oentralia, in the county of Marion, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and improved Envelope-Opener; and I do hereby declare. that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a plan view of myimproved envelope-opener. v

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.

- Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a new instrument for opening envelopes and for removing letters therefrom.

The invention consists of three plates, united by a common pivot, the two outer plates being furthermore connected by rivets or otherwise, so that they cannot turn separately on the pivot, while the middle plate, which carries the cutter, can be swung out, to allow the sharpening of the tool.

The outer plates may be extended beyond the cutting-plate, to form a pair of clamps for graspinga letter and withdrawing it from an opened envelope.

A, B, and O are the three plates which constitute my improved envelope-opener.

They are pivoted together by an eyelet, a, or by a simple pivot-pin, as may be desired.

The two outer plates A and O are, besides the pivot, connected by a rivet, b, or other equivalent device, so that they will always remain in' line with each other.

The middle plate B is free to swing on or with the pivot. Its motion is, however, regulated, or rather arrested, by the pinb, or some-other pin, the extremes of motion being shown in fig. 1.

The plates A and O are perforated near their ends,

When the. instrument is to be used, its cutter c is fitted under the flap of an envelope, the guide d retaining it longitudinally in the proper position, while the plates A O prevent its lateral displacement.

It can be drawn along the edge of an envelope, so as to out the same open; 7

When dull the knife can be swung out, as shown by red lines in fig. 1, to be sharpened.

The plates A 0 may be extended beyond the pivot on two opposite sides, as shown, in which case those ends between which the cutter is not contained may serve as clamps e c, for taking hold of the letter in an opened envelope, and for withdrawing it from the same.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Theenvelope-opener and letter-clamp, constructed as described, of the cheeks A O, secured together'centrally by the rivet, or-eyelet. a, and the pivoted cutter B, provided with the guard d and cutting-point c, all" arranged to operate in the manner described, for the purposes specified.

, W. H. MANTZ. Witnesses:

H. L. ELLIS,

J. O. VAN'OLEVE. 

